


Primary Colors

by WriteEditLife



Series: SweetVee Seduction Series [6]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, F/M, Passion, Strong Opinions, Student Council, angry sweet pea, debate, northside vs southside, southside serpents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-19 21:57:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14881949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriteEditLife/pseuds/WriteEditLife
Summary: Sweet Pea and Veronica deal with their issues at the student council debate in 2x17.





	Primary Colors

It was just like every other day at Riverdale High, except it wasn’t. All the students and faculty were gathered in the auditorium for the student council debate.

 

Sweet Pea sat patiently in the small, wooden auditorium chair at Riverdale High. He was leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, his brown eyes trained on the three couple of people who sat on the stage, chatting quietly to themselves, unaware of the turmoil that was about to be unleashed. To his left, Sweet Pea saw Fang’s legs bounce anxiously next to him, his hands clasped up near his mouth like Sweet Pea’s own, although he looked bored at the crowd.

 

Sweet Pea, on the other hand, was pissed. He had been ecstatic when he found out the Serpents would be attending Riverdale High. Finally, a chance to actually learn something. His excitement, of course, had been immediately smashed with the hostility brought by the northsiders and the school uniforms. No serpent jackets, no fraternizing or gang activity and still having to watch your back except for one hour after school in Jones’s Swords and Serpent official school club.

 

 He, along with the other southsiders still had to be bused into school every day while the northsiders got to ride their precious cars. They were still retreated like second-class students, barely tolerated by the elite masses who had everything they wanted and no deck stacked against them. It made his blood boil just thinking about it.

 

Then one announcement over the loudspeaker during gym class had changed all that. There were to be student council elections, and the winner got a seat on the school board, which was a chance to really be heard, if not affect real change. Sweet Pea was not a man of office and his temper made him too hot-headed to be a leader, but Jones clearly was. _And he is familiar with the territory._ His thoughts were confirmed when Jones went on one of his rants about how him being the student body president would actually help the serpents. _He had hope._

 

But now, sitting in that dimly lit auditorium, Sweet Pea felt anger creep through his veins as he clenched his hands together tightly, his eyes trained on Jones, who looked like an extra from Pleasantville. His usual Sherpa jacket was gone and in its place was a thin blue blazer with the Riverdale High logo stamped right on it. He didn’t look like Jones even with his old beanie. _He looked like a northsider._

Sweet Pea’s brow furrowed deeper as his eyes moved to Betty Cooper, the perfect looking girl next door with her red sweater and pristine ponytail. He clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth when he saw the turncoat, Alice Cooper, standing on the other side of the stage, clearly moderating this debate. Not even a traitor’s presence would stop him from getting his point across. It was finally time for the southside students to be heard, even if Jones wasn’t going to it.

 

Sweet Pea suddenly tore his gaze from Alice Cooper and glanced at his feet as he laid back in his chair, attempting to ease the tension in his body. He needed to stay focused. Sweet Pea sighed deeply and crossed his arms over his chest, slightly dislodging the denim jacket he wore, widening his legs to be more comfortable in the small space. Fangs seemed not to notice his change, his friend still staring off into the crowd with a vacant expression. Sweet Pea then glanced around the room, taking notice of FP and some of the other Serpents to his left who were wearing their jackets. _At least they can make their point without talking._

 

Another glance around the rest of the room told Sweet Pea that all the Northside students and parents were accounted for, and it was as though nearly the entire town had turned out for this debate _. Must be nice to care about trivial things when you have other options._

Sweet Pea huffed loudly and moved his gaze back to the stage, hoping that maybe his menacing gaze would penetrate Jones’s skull until he realized what a tow faced traitor he was succumbing into, just to get some votes. But Sweet Pea couldn’t help but let his eyes fall on the raven-haired beauty that just so happened to be sitting center stage. _Veronica Lodge._

 

 

His eyes moved diligently over her small frame, her signature black dress and sensible heels apparent from his perch in the middle of the room, her curves accentuated by the stage lights that beamed down on her like a spotlight. _Not that she needed it._ He couldn’t really make out her usual pearls, but he knew they would be around her neck, a small detail he noticed even more since she had gifted him a pair of hers that day in the parking lot. It was still tucked away safely in his jacket pocket, although the flower petals had wilted quickly. He couldn’t help but smirk at that.

 

To her left was a giant, poster-sized picture of her, clearly a campaign poster. The words “VOTE VERONICA” stared back at him in block letters, printed against a pink and purple background and a rather obviously posed photo of Veronica leaning on a table upright, with her hand cradling her chin. Her black dress, white collar and pearls were all present of course. _Money can’t buy taste apparently._

 

Sweet Pea was snapped from his silent exploration when a new voice broke into his thoughts as it spread across the room, and his eyes re-trained on the new target in a flash. _Now was his time._

 

“Okay, now just a quick reminder that this school hall is a PTA sponsored event,” came the authoritative voice of Alice Cooper, also known as Serpent enemy number one.

 

Like her daughter, Alice Cooper wore an appropriately colored but much looser sweater, a pair of black reading glasses were perched on her face and her hair ran down in even waves to frame her face. _Not a hair out of place for the woman who spends her time typing lies and deceit behind a desk with no accountability._

Without any hesitation, Sweet Pea confidently rose from his seat, squaring his feet and shoulders to the front of the room. He narrowed his gaze at Alice Cooper, who noticed the movement and made eye contact with a hint of delight in her features. _This was going to be too easy._

 

“Oh, looks like we have our first question,” Alice announced happily, and Sweet Pea watched in silence as she pointed a well-manicured finger in his direction, before retracting it quickly and shooting him a polite smile. Sweet Pea took another breath and opened his mouth,

 

“Yeah. No offense to the uh, current administration, but it doesn’t feel like anyone is looking out for the students who are being bused in from the southside.” Sweet Pea finished in an annoyed but confident tone, as he gestured around to his fellow students and Serpents, as he felt Fang’s slap his back in a familiar gesture of agreement and loyalty.

 

“Is that gonna change?” he asked louder, throwing is arms out to his sides in a clear challenge to the candidates to take him seriously and answer the question in front of basically the entire town.

 

“Absolutely, Sweet Pea,” Jughead interjected immediately. Somehow, Jones being the first to answer made Sweet Pea more annoyed, as though he already knew the words he was about to her. Sweet Pea wanted to hear the accountability of the answer from a northsider. A real one, not the southsider wannabe currently speaking into the microphone.

 

“That’s our priority. No one should feel marginalized or excluded here,” Jones continued. Sweet Pea shot a pissed off look at Fangs, who returned with a knowing stare of his own. The answer was a regular one, a stonewall defense Sweet Pea had been hearing from the northside since he’d been in school there. Even FP looked disappointed in the answer.

 

“Jughead and I will be representing all students, north and southside alike,” Betty answered swiftly, keeping Jones’s momentum. Somehow, he doubted that the turncoat’s daughter even really understood what that meant, what with growing up in her picturesque house. Just because Jughead was from the southside and he was her running mate, didn’t mean either of them really cared about the southside students. _Betty and Jughead were a team of their own._

 

Sweet Pea didn’t even get a chance to argue that exact point further since Alice Cooper basically cut off her own daughter in an attempt to move past the question. Sweet Pea slumped back down in his seat as a small northside girl he didn’t know asked a question. He gripped his knees with his hands, trying to quell the anger rising in his chest when he heard her name.

 

Looking back up at the stage, Sweet Pea watched as Veronica raised her microphone and prepared to answer.

 

“Archie and I adhere to the old maxim that politics are never discussed at the dinner or the cafeteria table,” Veronica answered, to some minimal laughter among the crowd. Red didn’t even really appear to be paying attention, but the laughter seemed to wake him up.

 

‘Veronica and I are on the same page about everything. Including her family’s plans for a prison on the southside,” he replied, clearly showing his support for his girl, which further angered Sweet Pea, at least, until he caught the look of frozen surprise on Veronica’s face.

 

“In the meantime, however, we are committed to improving the quality of life at Riverdale High. Which means more extracurriculars- “Veronica had passionately begun answering again, a warm smile on her features, before being interrupted by the Beyoncé wannabe.

 

“Reggie and I agree, except add the fact that we can and will deliver results,” Josie replied in a snarky tone, taking the wind out of Veronica’s sails as she slumped her shoulders and silently conceded the question. _What is with these northsiders and their vendettas against each other? It’s a student council election and they’ve all known each other forever. Guess beating the crap out of each other is the only way to prove loyalty._

“And we’re chill, unlike these guys,” Reggie chimed in, as though his jock opinion could ever matter. He did get some laughs though, so some of the northsiders bought into that dumb jock attitude he swaggered around the halls with.

 

The debate only turned into a weak popularity contest from there and all it did was make Sweet Pea’s stomach churn. No real change was happening. It was just a bunch of northsiders putting on a mask of equality and understanding in a time rife with paranoia and prejudice. His only real solace was that Veronica seemed as miserable as him underneath her fake smile. _Still beautiful._

 

 

***

 

Veronica tried to focus on the task at hand. She sat ramrod straight on her stool in the center of the auditorium stage, with Archie to her immediate left and Betty just a bit to her right. Veronica cleared her throat quietly as she gazed out into the audience, resisting the urge to smooth out her dress or adjust her pearl necklace. She noticed that a stage light was shining out right on top of her head, but the nearly faces masses in front of her were cloaked in darkness. She couldn’t make out any familiar faces, not even if her parents had been in the audience.

 

Her attention was quickly diverted to Alice Cooper when her booming and cheery voice erupted from the microphone, and Veronica set an easy smile on her features as Alice called on a student near the middle of the auditorium. And of course, it was him _. Sweet Pea._ If Veronica was honest with herself, she would admit to knowing it was him just by his tall frame, as he stood and towered over the other occupants with his squared shoulders and predictable flannel.

What she was not expecting, was his deep, authoritative voice that was laced with passion, as he advocated for his fellow Southside students. That day in the hallway, when he and the other Serpents had arrived, Sweet Pea had only spoken in anger towards Reggie before charging towards him in the hallway, which was also the only time Veronica actually got to touch Sweet Pea, even if it was just over his leather jacket. _That touch made her feel connected to him._

 

They stood on opposite sides of the town fight then, just as they had in Picken’s Park and just as they did now.  As he spoke about the new administration needing to look after the southsiders, she realized he was taking the spotlight to affect real change, just like she was by running for office. Veronica watched his face, hardened with focus as Jughead quickly jumped in to answer, and then there was Betty, attempting to be the force of reason, while her mother just feet away was one of the main fuels the fire.

 

She felt like she was on display, and in a sense, she was. Veronica had chosen to run for class president with Archie, and all the attention it implied. But yet staring out into the crowd at him, she felt the spotlight fell on him much brighter than it had on her when she sang at Picken’s Day. It was the ultimate role reversal. A cause she cared deeply about and he wandered in, standing tall like he owned the place and questioned the northside influence immediately.

 

That day in the park the deep cause to care about had been his, and she and the other northsiders threw a party like they owned the place. Even after he and the serpents had shown up, her father had controlled the situation. She remembered the anxious yet confused feeling of standing on that stage next to him, all the Serpents giving him a death glare.

 

But now, watching him stand there and passionately advocate for the future of the southside students, she realized just how little of a voice they had, especially on this side of town. He looked angry, fury seeping through his every word and movement as he fought to keep his voice level and get his words out. She never felt that his anger was directed at her, as his eyes always seemed to shift to something more guarded as he watched her. _And she knew he was watching her._

 

Veronica tried not to fidget in her seat, the tension between the crowd and Alice’s abrupt ending of the answers rising with the second. She quickly smoothed her hair and looked to Archie with a small smile that he missed because he was looking away. Veronica glanced back out into the crowd and her eyes wondered to Sweet Pea, who she was able to pick out in the crowd even though he had sat down, but his rage at basically being dismissed by Alice Cooper radiating from his being. _He was hidden among the crowd, but not to her._

 

Veronica could relate to that rage, having felt it when Ethel humiliated her while singing, and even Betty turned her back on their friendship to run with Jughead instead. She searched his face for understanding but glanced away suddenly when she heard her name called, not because he had made eye contact back.

 

Veronica focused on Midge’s question, careful to school her facial features at Archie’s interruption and the mention of her parents. She jumped in with her answer about improving the quality of life for all students, only to be interrupted by Josie and this time, she didn’t even hide the annoyance on her face. Veronica felt her heart truly sink and the rest of the fight leave her veins when the audience loudly laughed at Reggie’s attempt at humor. Veronica forced a smile and her eyes were drawn to the familiar figure in the crowd, sitting tall and unwavering. He was looking right at her, his calculating gaze piercing her soul with everything from frustration to commiseration.

 

Just like that night at the Whyte Wyrm, she focused on his gaze and pulled some strength from that, as though they were only two people in the room who were tired of lighthearted fun being made from major life-altering decisions. They were on opposite sides of the fight, but their fears and goals were the same: Change. She was a Lodge, she supported her mother for mayor no matter what, and she wanted to affect real change at Riverdale High when (not if) she was elected and in front of her was a man who clearly shared that same ambition and want.

 

Now they just had to make it a reality, which was a tall order in their small but troubled town. One that the mayoral election would more drastically make clear, but for now Veronica settled for finishing the debate, gazes locked with his, and they endured this storm together.

 

 


End file.
